Jack Black VS Tablezilla!

[Jack Black]

I’ve been so busy with work over the past couple of months that I’ve barely had time to go hunting in any of my local flea-markets. Nonetheless, because I haven’t had time for a fettling session in a while, the pile of folders and other bits and pieces has grown steadily. I cleared the table over Xmas, but on New Year’s Day I thought I’d try and tackle the monster pile. The monster won hands down! :grumpy: But I did get a bit of work done before being overwhelmed and throwing in the towel



This Ampoule Knife is pretty unusual. This one was made for pharmaceutical company Sandoz under the Joseph Rodgers name, came with a pile of replacement blades for the glass saw if anyone ever needs a spare. I came across a near identical knife a couple of years back, but made in Germany by E.Bonsmann (below).







Nothing highfalutin about this one, but it has great walk and talk, and the steel seems good :thumbup: Based on the fact that they’re neither plated nor stainless, I imagine the knife stands are pretty old.



Perhaps some nice Italian lady once carried this tiny thing to sharpen her eyebrow pencil, made by Corigama. Pliers by Wilkinsons.







I believe this Ibberson Penknife with advertising for Callender Cables is from the 1930’s. The springs are a little worn. Info on Callender Cables here: http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Callenders_Cable_and_Construction_Co











This military clasp knife by James Barber of Sheffield is a hybrid pattern with a WW1 pattern blade and a WW2 pattern tin-opener. It’s a good solid knife with great walk and talk. Inevitably the tin-opener is a bit of a pig to open The silver plated cake server is so large, solid and weighty that you could lay bricks with it! I think it’s destined for a couple of friendly cafe owners myself and ADEE know






The Joseph Rodgers marks on this nicely-made Sleeveboard are so feint that I suspect one of their (mainly self-employed) cutlers used them on one of his own knives. That or they were just badly struck.





This small John Nowill & Sons clasp knife is the same pattern as knives once carried here by Girl Guides. The wee leather pouch was a gift from ADEE.





I found this Richards 4-blade Scout Knife in unusually good condition. Blade is carbon steel, tools are stainless. The Bully Beef tin-opener (http://toolmonger.com/2008/05/30/antique-tools-19th-century-bully-beef-can-opener/) cost me several times as much, but is considerably older. It doubles as a trench club!



I’ve seen fruit knives like this before, but not previously with provenance.



I’ve been sending a few old tools down to Paul and Jan Mason recently, but they’re completely tooled-out – or wise to my table-clearing strategy! The hammer went to one of my neighbours this afternoon, the pliers will be going in my tool-box, and I think I have good homes for the glazing tool and the rest

As I told that darn table, “I will be back!” :thumbup:

 

[supratentorial]

Nice! Some very cool knives! Any idea of the original purpose of the glass blade on the pharmacy knife? Now most glass ampoules are broken by hand to open them but I don't know about back then. Perhaps they needed to be scored first?

I don't think Jack Black VS Tablezilla would be a fair fight -- you have too many special powers. But I've come to think of the table as your version of Batman's utility belt.

 

[JB in SC]

Excellent haul Jack...some rather unusual pieces (at least to me) in the lot.

 

[Blake the Blade]

Good work Jack, know how much you like your British army clasp knives and that one looks like a goodun, WW1 or WW2?. My favourite's the Richards scout knife. Excuse my ignorance Jack but what, if any, is the difference between a clasp knife and a slip joint?

 

[Jolipapa]

Nice! Some very cool knives! Any idea of the original purpose of the glass blade on the pharmacy knife? Now most glass ampoules are broken by hand to open them but I don't know about back then. Perhaps they needed to be scored first?

there used to have a small saw in each ampoule box. Easy breaking glass came later.

I've come to think of the table as your version of Batman's utility belt.

:thumbup: +1

 

[Jack Black]

Nice! Some very cool knives! Any idea of the original purpose of the glass blade on the pharmacy knife? Now most glass ampules are broken by hand to open them but I don't know about back then.

I don't think Jack Black VS Tablezilla would be a fair fight -- you have too many special powers. But I've come to think of the table as your version of Batman's utility belt.

LOL! Thanks Jake!

I just did a quick search on 'ampoule knife', and turned up a few interesting results, including the worrying statistics that broken ampoules supposedly cause 54% of the reported incidents in anaesthesia personnel, and that ampoule cuts are known to occur in 6% of anaesthetic sessions! There seem to be contemporary ampoule knives available, and I don't think the two I have are particularly old. However needed they are in practice though, I suspect my examples are primarily intended as gifts for doctors and pharmacists from a pharmaceutical company.

 

[Jack Black]

Thanks a lot guys :thumbup:

Good work Jack, know how much you like your British army clasp knives and that one looks like a goodun, WW1 or WW2?. My favourite's the Richards scout knife. Excuse my ignorance Jack but what, if any, is the difference between a clasp knife and a slip joint?

WW2 I think. Good question! Strictly speaking, clasp knives are actually something else! Confusing isn't it? But they are slip joints :thumbup:

 

[GasMan1]

Been missing "the table" great stuff as always Mr. Jack.

 

[Jack Black]

Been missing "the table" great stuff as always Mr. Jack.

Thank you sir :thumbup:

 

[donn]

Crikey Jack! When I clear my table I can eat my dinner off it. Yours looks more like Norfolk Street, Sheffield circa 1902.
Nice haul! Where do you find them all.....

 

[Blake the Blade]

Thanks a lot guys :thumbup:



WW2 I think. Good question! Strictly speaking, clasp knives are actually something else! Confusing isn't it? But they are slip joints :thumbup:

Gonna push my luck and ask for some clarification on that one Jack. In what way 'something else'?

 

[Jack Black]

Crikey Jack! When I clear my table I can eat my dinner off it. Yours looks more like Norfolk Street, Sheffield circa 1902.
Nice haul! Where do you find them all.....

LOL! Thanks Donn :thumbup: Fortunately I have a dining table too! I was recently thinking I should get a new kitchen table, but I rarely see the one I have, and besides at my age, I'm not sure I'd get my money's worth! I had guests over Xmas, so I had to clear the kitchen table, and put a table-cloth over it!

 

[pertinux]

My money's on the table.

I mean, "Duh," but I just thought I'd get my bet in early.




~ P.

 

[Gevonovich]

Great to see the table and contents, Jack! The Bully Beef tin opener is my favorite this time around. Of course, the tang stamps always get me;No 6 Norfolk ! I just see the massive building with horse drawn wagons coming out filled with goodies:thumbup::thumbup:

 

[quattromori]

I just did a quick search on 'ampoule knife', and turned up a few interesting results, including the worrying statistics that broken ampoules supposedly cause 54% of the reported incidents in anaesthesia personnel, and that ampoule cuts are known to occur in 6% of anaesthetic sessions!

Been there more than once or twice
Statistics also increase when you have a new round of residents or practitioning nurses though
Nice table of knives Jack. Even though my knowledge of those knives is limited, you always have something that catches my eye or gets my attention

Fausto

 

[Jack Black]

Gonna push my luck and ask for some clarification on that one Jack. In what way 'something else'?

OK :thumbup: Trying to deal with something else at the moment, hence the brevity of my post. Clasp knives have been around a long time, and were traditionally large single-bladed folding knives of primitive form, such as the Spanish Navaja. Originally, they might have been made from the horn or antler of an animal, slotted to take a large, primitive blade. Later clasp knives still adhered to the same shape, and some knives still have that shape today. Perhaps because the term has been around a long time it has been used for other knives, which knife collectors might not otherwise consider clasp knives. I suspect that the term was used in relation to British Army and Navy knives because they were originally much larger knives than they became later :thumbup:

 

[Jack Black]

My money's on the table.

I mean, "Duh," but I just thought I'd get my bet in early.

Great to see the table and contents, Jack! The Bully Beef tin opener is my favorite this time around. Of course, the tang stamps always get me;No 6 Norfolk ! I just see the massive building with horse drawn wagons coming out filled with goodies:thumbup::thumbup:

Thanks my friend. Here's the old Rodgers cutlery factory :thumbup:

Been there more than once or twice
Statistics also increase when you have a new round of residents or practitioning nurses though
Nice table of knives Jack. Even though my knowledge of those knives is limited, you always have something that catches my eye or gets my attention

Ouch! Thanks Fausto :thumbup:

 

[Blake the Blade]

OK :thumbup: Trying to deal with something else at the moment, hence the brevity of my post. Clasp knives have been around a long time, and were traditionally large single-bladed folding knives of primitive form, such as the Spanish Navaja. Originally, they might have been made from the horn or antler of an animal, slotted to take a large, primitive blade. Later clasp knives still adhered to the same shape, and some knives still have that shape today. Perhaps because the term has been around a long time it has been used for other knives, which knife collectors might not otherwise consider clasp knives. I suspect that the term was used in relation to British Army and Navy knives because they were originally much larger knives than they became later :thumbup:

Interesting bit of history jack, thanks. I'd imagined the term clasp would have had something to do with either the way the knife was gripped or the mechanism by which the blade was held open or closed.

 

[Jack Black]

I'd imagined the term clasp would have had something to do with either the way the knife was gripped or the mechanism by which the blade was held open or closed.

That might be the case Blake. It's interesting that it has been and is used as a term for both friction folders and slipjoints.

 

[Blake the Blade]

That might be the case Blake. It's interesting that it has been and is used as a term for both friction folders and slipjoints.

Perhaps it's simply developed as a generic term for knives with a folding/clasping mechanism, I.E a knife that clasps shut. Obvious I suppose?